Collaboration - Competency
Definition: Collaboration is the process of fostering open communication, building trust-based relationships, and promoting a cooperative environment where information is shared freely and all team members contribute to shared goals. It involves active participation, consensus-building, and shared decision-making, ensuring diverse perspectives are valued while addressing challenges through teamwork and problem-solving. Strong collaboration is rooted in mutual respect, commitment, and the effective use of digital tools to enhance efficiency, minimize misunderstandings, and create a culture of transparency and innovation.
360-Feedback Assessments Measuring Collaboration:
Survey 1 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 2 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 3 (5-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 4 (5-point scale; radio buttons)
Survey 5 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 6 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 7 (5-point scale; competency comments; N/A)
Survey 8 (3-point scale; Agree/Disagree words; N/A)
Survey 9 (3-point scale; Strength/Development; N/A)
Survey 10 (Comment boxes only)
Survey 11 (Single rating per competency)
Survey 12 (Slide-bar scale)
Survey 13 (4-point scale; numbers; floating anchors)
Survey 14 (4-point scale; N/A)
Self-Comments: Do you have to complete a self-assessment or performance appraisal? If so, the
self-comments here may help.
What is Collaboration?
Collaboration is the practice of creating an environment where communication is open, transparent, allowing people to share knowledge, express concerns, and contribute ideas without fear of judgment. It is grounded in strong relationships (within teams, across departments, and with external partners) that reduce misunderstandings and strengthen collective effectiveness. A collaborative culture is intentionally cultivated through trust, respect, and shared values, replacing hyper-competitive dynamics with an atmosphere that encourages innovation, risk-taking, and the free exchange of information. Technology supports this foundation by equipping teams with the tools they need to communicate, coordinate, and co-create effectively.
Collaboration also involves being genuinely open to input and ensuring that diverse perspectives shape decisions and solutions. It requires structures and habits that invite opinions, consider creative ideas, and include all relevant stakeholders in shared decision-making. Through consensus-building, teams align around shared goals and work together to solve problems, drawing on the expertise of multiple contributors to generate stronger, more sustainable outcomes. Information is shared freely and transparently so that everyone has access to the data and context needed to participate meaningfully.
Finally, collaboration is sustained through active participation, cooperation, and a visible commitment to working together. Team members contribute their time, insights, and resources to advance collective goals, manage conflicts constructively, and maintain a cooperative environment. Leaders reinforce this commitment by encouraging cross-departmental collaboration, modeling trust and respect, and ensuring that interpersonal issues are addressed with a collaborative mindset. When these behaviors are consistently practiced, collaboration becomes a defining strength of the organization--one that accelerates problem-solving, strengthens relationships, and drives shared success. Core Components of Collaboration
- Communication: Creating an open, transparent, and supportive dialogue where individuals feel safe to express ideas, concerns, and insights to foster trust, enable participation, promote discussion across teams, and ensure that communication flows smoothly to facilitate collaboration.
- Relationships: Building and maintaining strong interpersonal and professional connections to enhance collaboration across teams, departments, and external partnerships to foster trust with suppliers, develop alliances within the company, strengthen cross-departmental bonds, and ensure effective communication.
- Collaborative Environment: Building a workplace culture that encourages teamwork, trust, and shared success to create a non-competitive atmosphere, foster innovation through collaboration, promote open participation, and model cooperative behavior.
- Information Sharing: Providing access to relevant knowledge, pooling resources, and ensuring that valuable insights are shared freely among team members to enhance efficiency and decision-making. This distributes critical data, making resources available, and ensuring collaboration results in deeper understanding.
- Shared Decision Making: Bringing multiple stakeholders together to contribute their expertise, viewpoints, and insights to reach a well-rounded decision to promote inclusive decision-making processes, valuing diverse opinions, and ensuring that choices are informed by a broad range of perspectives.
- Consensus: Aligning perspectives, building agreement among stakeholders, and ensuring all voices contribute to cohesive decision-making to maintain motivation within teams, prioritize shared interests, and structure discussions to reach collective agreement.
- Shared Goals: Aligning team members around common objectives, ensuring that everyone understands and contributes toward collective achievements to define and communicate goals, motivate teams to work in unity, ensure alignment in committee-driven efforts, and foster a shared vision.
- Cooperation: Actively engaging with team members, fostering a collaborative atmosphere, and working together toward common goals to strengthen relationships, encourage teamwork over competition, and ensure individuals work harmoniously to achieve shared objectives.
- Conflict Management: Actively addressing and resolving disputes constructively to maintain team unity and productivity to work collaboratively to handle interpersonal challenges, encourage positive resolutions, and guide team members to reconcile differences in a way that strengthens relationships.
Why is Collaboration important?
Collaboration is a key driver of business success by enabling individuals with diverse skills and perspectives to work together to generate innovative solutions; increasing efficiency by leveraging the strengths of each team member; improving decision-making through a broader range of input, leading to more informed decisions; and enhancing engagement and satisfaction through an environment that fosters a sense of community and belonging. How can I improve Collaboration skills?
- Maintain open communication: Communication is critical to success at work. Focus on active listening and clear, concise expression of ideas. Practice empathy and non-verbal communication to enhance your understanding and connection with others.
- Building Relationships: Collaborating with various departments and organizations ensures access to essential resources for success.
- Create a Collaborative environment: Prioritize trust, respect, and the sharing of ideas over competition, fostering innovation and productivity. Emphasize the importance of diverse perspectives, teamwork, and leading by example to create a culture of collaboration and employee satisfaction.
- Information Exchange: Foster an environment where information, insights, and resources are freely shared to enhance efficiency, collaboration, and problem-solving.
- Manage Conflict: Approach interpersonal issues with a collaborative and positive mindset, encouraging teammates to resolve conflicts constructively and work together. Facilitate reconciliation and teamwork to strengthen team unity and effectively manage disputes.
What are the benefits of good Collaboration?
- Maintain open communication: Fostering an environment where open, transparent dialogue is encouraged, and team members feel safe to share ideas and concerns without fear of judgment. This promotes active participation and the free exchange of knowledge and information throughout the organization.
- Building Relationships: This enhances communication, reduces misunderstandings, and fosters a more cohesive work environment. By developing strong partnerships and networks both within and outside the organization, teams can leverage diverse perspectives and resources to achieve better outcomes and drive innovation.
- Create a Collaborative environment: Fostering a collaborative environment is beneficial because it builds trust, encourages innovation, and enhances productivity by valuing diverse perspectives and promoting teamwork. This approach not only drives employee satisfaction but also creates a culture where ideas can flourish and conflicts are resolved constructively.
- Information Exchange: Sharing information for collaborative purposes creates an environment of transparency and efficiency, ensuring that all team members have access to relevant data and insights. This practice enhances problem-solving, accelerates success, and promotes deeper understanding by pooling knowledge and resources.
- Manage Conflict: Effectively managing conflicts fosters a positive work environment, enhancing team collaboration and productivity. This approach not only strengthens relationships and trust among team members but also drives innovation and better business outcomes.
What questions could be included on a 360-degree survey that measure collaboration?
The questionnaire items below will measure collaboration. These questions are grouped into different facets of collaboration. When creating a 360-degree or other performance assessment, try to select one or two items from each group. Questions to include on your survey.
CommunicationCommunication focuses on creating an open, transparent, and supportive dialogue where individuals feel safe to express ideas, concerns, and insights. This dimension highlights fostering trust, enabling participation, promoting discussion across teams, and ensuring that communication flows smoothly to facilitate collaboration. It prioritizes clarity and engagement, ensuring that individuals actively contribute to conversations and exchange perspectives.
- Creates an environment of open and transparent communication.
- Promotes open participation and communication within department and throughout the organization.
- Encourages open communication to support a collaborative environment.
- Creates an environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas and concerns without fear of judgment.
- Creates an environment where others feel comfortable sharing knowledge and information.
- Encourages open dialog and sharing of information among team members.
- Shares concerns and issues with others in the group.
RelationshipsRelationships focuses on building and maintaining strong interpersonal and professional connections to enhance collaboration across teams, departments, and external partnerships. This dimension highlights fostering trust with suppliers, developing alliances within the company, strengthening cross-departmental bonds, and ensuring effective communication to reduce misunderstandings. It prioritizes network-building and trust, ensuring that collaboration is rooted in strong, lasting professional relationships.
- Is comfortable working with employees from different departments/divisions.
- Builds strong interpersonal relationships for more effective collaboration.
- Strengthens relationships with suppliers to improve contract and price negotiation terms.
- Fosters strong collaborative relationships with suppliers.
- Builds relationships with suppliers to improve communications and reduce misunderstandings and delays.
- Maintains strong relationships with suppliers to ensure quality standards are met.
- Develops networks and builds alliances with employees throughout the company.
- Collaborates across departmental boundaries and finds common ground with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Develops networks and builds alliances across departments.
- Identifies and organizes partnerships and alliances.
- Builds strong partnerships with others.
- Meets with appropriate counterparts in negotiations as needed.
- Provides training and support for relationship building in the team.
Collaborative EnvironmentCollaborative Environment focuses on building a workplace culture that encourages teamwork, trust, and shared success. This dimension highlights creating a non-competitive atmosphere, fostering innovation through collaboration, promoting open participation, and modeling cooperative behavior. It prioritizes cultural reinforcement and organizational alignment, ensuring that teamwork is a core value embedded in the department's structure and vision.
- Creates a culture that fosters and values collaboration.
- Models collaborative behavior through leading by example.
- Promotes a culture of collaboration rather than rivalry.
- Builds an environment of trust and respect to encourage risk-taking, innovation, and sharing of ideas.
- Clearly articulates the importance of collaboration in the department's values and vision.
- Create an environment where collaboration and teamwork is encouraged.
- Avoids promoting a hyper competitive culture in favor of a more collaborative one.
- Cultivates a collaborative culture that drives innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
- Creates a culture that encourages understanding and valuing diverse perspectives to effectively resolve conflicts.
Information SharingInformation Sharing emphasizes providing access to relevant knowledge, pooling resources, and ensuring that valuable insights are shared freely among team members to enhance efficiency and decision-making. This dimension centers on distributing critical data, making resources available, and ensuring collaboration results in deeper understanding. It prioritizes accessibility and collective intelligence, ensuring that teams work together to leverage shared knowledge for better outcomes.
- Creates an environment that encourages information sharing.
- Shares knowledge, ideas and resources to achieve quicker success.
- Works with others to pool knowledge, ideas and resources to provide deeper insights into difficult issues.
- Readily shares information with other group members.
- Ensures relevant data is available to all committee members.
- Shares insights, innovations, and resources to enhance efficiency.
- Creates an environment to support free exchange of information.
- Works with others to share knowledge and information.
- Shares information with others.
Open to InputOpen to Input emphasizes actively seeking and valuing contributions from individuals, ensuring diverse perspectives are heard and considered. This dimension centers on listening to ideas, encouraging creative input, implementing feedback, and recognizing the collective strength of varied viewpoints. It prioritizes engagement and inclusivity, ensuring that employees feel empowered to voice suggestions and influence decision-making.
- Seeks continuous improvement through the input from coworkers and staff.
- Encourages team members to offer opinions and ideas.
- Listens to the ideas and suggestions from others.
- Regularly seeks feedback from employees on how to improve collaboration and acts on their suggestions.
- Values the diverse perspectives and skills each team member brings to the table, recognizing that collaborative efforts often lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
- Listens and attends to the ideas from others.
- Gives consideration to the innovative ideas presented by others.
- Is open to unique and creative ideas from others.
- Open to feedback and willing to share insights to foster a collaborative work environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
Shared Decision MakingShared Decision Making focuses on bringing multiple stakeholders together to contribute their expertise, viewpoints, and insights to reach a well-rounded decision. This dimension highlights inclusive decision-making processes, valuing diverse opinions, and ensuring that choices are informed by a broad range of perspectives. It prioritizes group consensus and stakeholder involvement, ensuring that decisions are well-informed and mutually supported.
- Makes decisions with other members of the group.
- Uses group decision making.
- Values others in decision making.
- Collaborates in group decision making.
- Includes all stakeholders in the decision making process.
- Allows various stakeholders to contribute their expertise in the decision making process.
- Places value on the views of others in decision making.
ConsensusConsensus emphasizes aligning perspectives, building agreement among stakeholders, and ensuring all voices contribute to cohesive decision-making. This dimension centers on maintaining motivation within teams, prioritizing shared interests, and structuring discussions to reach collective agreement. It prioritizes alignment and unity, ensuring that decisions are made in a way that reflects the input and endorsement of all involved.
- Builds consensus among team members.
- Builds consensus among partners.
- Keeps everyone aligned and motivated to maintain a cohesive and productive team.
- Ensures that all members are aligned and motivated, contributing to a cohesive and productive team dynamic.
- Engages in consensus-building activities.
- Involves others in reaching a consensus during group activities.
- Identifies and prioritizes needs based on shared interests.
Shared GoalsShared Goals emphasizes aligning team members around common objectives, ensuring that everyone understands and contributes toward collective achievements. This dimension centers on defining and communicating goals, motivating teams to work in unity, ensuring alignment in committee-driven efforts, and fostering a shared vision. It prioritizes goal alignment and collective action, ensuring that individuals coordinate efforts effectively to reach agreed-upon outcomes.
- Works with others to achieve common objectives.
- Encourages working together to achieve shared goals.
- Defines shared goals with the committee members.
- Collaborates with team members to achieve common goals.
- Ensures all team members understand the goals.
- Works to obtain a shared vision for goals and objectives of the team.
Shared Problem SolvingShared Problem Solving emphasizes actively working with colleagues to identify, analyze, and resolve challenges collaboratively. This dimension centers on fostering creativity, mutual inspiration, leveraging collective expertise, and developing strategic solutions in a cooperative environment. It prioritizes collaborative brainstorming and solution-building, ensuring that teamwork leads to innovative and effective resolutions.
- Works with other experts to solve problems.
- Allows various stakeholders to contribute their expertise to the solution of a problem.
- Effectively works with others to create solutions to problems.
- Understands that collaboration often leads to more innovative and effective solutions.
- Fosters a collaborative work environment where mutual inspiration leads to innovative problem-solving.
- Works with others to develop strategies to identify needs and priorities.
- Actively seeks opportunities to work with colleagues to address and resolve challenges.
- Promotes a culture of collaboration, shared inspiration and creativity to tackle workplace problems.
- Willing to work with others to solve problems.
CooperationCooperation focuses on actively engaging with team members, fostering a collaborative atmosphere, and working together toward common goals. This dimension highlights strengthening relationships, encouraging teamwork over competition, and ensuring individuals work harmoniously to achieve shared objectives. It prioritizes relationship-building and teamwork, ensuring that individuals collaborate effectively without necessarily requiring full agreement on every decision.
- Fosters a cooperative environment rather than a highly competitive one.
- Builds and strengthens relationships to improve collaboration and leadership.
- Gains the cooperation of others to accomplish common goals and objectives.
- Works cooperatively with others to solve problems.
- Actively engages with team members to foster a cooperative environment.
Conflict ManagementConflict Management focuses on actively addressing and resolving disputes constructively to maintain team unity and productivity. This dimension highlights working collaboratively to handle interpersonal challenges, encouraging positive resolutions, and guiding team members to reconcile differences in a way that strengthens relationships. It prioritizes problem-solving and resolution, ensuring that conflicts do not disrupt collaboration but instead foster better understanding and cooperation.
- Engages in teamwork to handle disputes positively.
- Collaborates to manage interpersonal disputes with a positive approach.
- Encourages teammates to settle their differences and work together.
- Works with others to manage conflicts using a constructive approach.
- Guides team members to reconcile their differences and collaborate effectively.
- Collaborates with others to resolve conflicts constructively.
- Addresses interpersonal issues with a collaborative mindset.
- Facilitates resolving differences to strengthen team unity.
- Works with others to resolve differences.
ContributionContribution focuses on actively providing expertise, resources, and knowledge to support the team and drive solutions forward. This dimension highlights consulting with others, sharing insights, encouraging diverse perspectives, and rewarding the efforts of teammates. It prioritizes value-add and impact, ensuring that individual contributions meaningfully advance team objectives.
- Contributes resources and knowledge to support others' success.
- Devotes time and energy to empower the team to succeed.
- Contributes expertise, insights, and resources to accelerate solutions to problems.
- Contributes resources and knowledge to help the team achieve its goals.
- Rewards collaborative efforts of team members.
- Consults with other partners on issues.
- Works with others to resolve issues facing the company.
- Encourages diversity of opinions and ideas.
- Recognizes and rewards the contributions of team members.
ParticipatesParticipates emphasizes actively engaging in teamwork, decision-making, and discussions to maintain a collaborative and dynamic environment. This dimension centers on joining committees, collaborating in meetings, offering time and effort toward shared success, and fostering an inclusive team culture. It prioritizes engagement and involvement, ensuring that individuals are fully immersed in collaborative efforts.
- Works to create innovative ideas from the collaboration with others.
- Shares skills and time to help the team thrive.
- Participates in collaborative/team decision-making.
- Collaborates in time, effort, and expertise to help achieve success.
- Participates in the team's deliberations.
- Engages with team members to build a collaborative work environment.
- Participates on committees and working groups.
CommitmentCommitment focuses on actively fostering a collaborative environment where individuals are dedicated to teamwork and achieving common goals. This dimension highlights encouraging cross-departmental collaboration, securing engagement from team members, promoting teamwork as a core value, and ensuring long-term dedication to shared objectives. It prioritizes engagement and buy-in, ensuring that individuals actively contribute to a culture of cooperation.
- Fosters a collaborative work environment where everyone feels committed to achieve common goals.
- Encourages collaboration of fellow employees to achieve results.
- Uses effective strategies to re-engage team members and secure their commitment to the business's common good.
- Works to get buy-in of individuals based on common good of business.
- Committed to fostering a collaborative work environment in the department.
- Encourages collaboration with other departments.
- Encourages, promotes and rewards collaboration for improved performance.
TrustTrust emphasizes establishing credibility, mutual respect, and confidence among colleagues to create a dependable and supportive work environment. This dimension centers on building reliability, encouraging transparency, fostering respect, and ensuring team members feel safe in expressing ideas and opinions. It prioritizes integrity and reliability, ensuring that collaboration is rooted in honesty and trustworthiness.
- Is a trustworthy and credible partner.
- Has the confidence and trust of other partners.
- Builds a culture of trust and mutual respect where team members are encouraged to value each other's contributions.
- Has the confidence and trust of other team members.
- Encourages trust among committee members.
- Is a dependable partner in the group.
- Displays a high degree of trust and credibility.
- Is honest with others.
RespectRespect emphasizes valuing diverse perspectives, showing compassion, and maintaining a considerate approach in interactions. This dimension centers on being tactful in discussions, recognizing individual differences, fostering inclusivity, and ensuring that all team members feel heard and valued. It prioritizes mutual understanding and inclusivity, ensuring that individuals respect and acknowledge the contributions of others, even when disagreements arise.
- Considers the views of other colleagues and associates.
- Respectful of others in group discussions.
- Is tactful, compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others.
- Respects and utilizes diverse perspectives in addressing challenges.
- Respects other group/team members.
- Respects other committee members.
- Views others as valued partners.
- Respects individual differences that contribute to solving problems.
- Is respectful of others in group discussions.
- Recognizes and understands the views of other partners and associates.
TechnologyTechnology focuses on utilizing digital tools and platforms to facilitate collaboration, streamline workflows, and enhance document creation processes. This dimension highlights integrating technology in research and development, policy documentation, and department-wide cooperation. It prioritizes efficiency and digital enablement, ensuring that collaborative efforts are optimized through the strategic use of digital tools.
- Integrates digital tools to streamline the collaborative processes of Research and Development.
- Effectively uses technology to facilitate collaborative efforts in building process and policy documents.
- Uses digital tools to support collaborative efforts in document creation?
- Equips the team with the right tools and technologies to facilitate collaboration.
- Integrates technology to boost collaborative work on process and policy documentation.
- Utilizes digital tools to enhance collaborative efforts in creating process and policy documents.
- Effectively uses digital tools to improve collaboration in the department.